Mercenary's War

"We must return to Italy, immediately!"

After a firm statement, Gao Yang said very seriously, "Mario’s death makes the situation more complex, and of course more dangerous, but we cannot afford the consequences of anyone other than Justin controlling the Cicero Family."

Whether Justin can ascend is not just a question of a better or worse future for Satan, but a matter of life and death.

Yarebin was silent for a long time, pondering for a while before saying, "It’s best to contact Cesare; we don’t know Cesare’s identity, what he thinks. Also, we need to know the direction the Cicero Family will take after Mario’s death. Justin, what do you think will happen?"

Justin said quietly, "Only Lorenzo and I are able to inherit the position of the family head. I don’t know the circumstances of Mario’s death or what arrangements he made. However, if Mario is really dead, only Lorenzo and I are qualified to become family heads, and I’m the most qualified one, but I need to make a public appearance."

Gao Yang suddenly asked, "What about Mario’s son?"

Justin frowned and replied, "Claudio? Are you suggesting Mario would have his son succeed him? Impossible. Claudio is a playboy, good at having fun, but leading the Cicero Family—it would be over very quickly."

Yarebin waved his hand and said, "Time is of the essence now; there can be no delay. We must return to Rome immediately."

Gao Yang stood up and said, "Now that Mario is dead, the Cicero Family faces a choice. Is it possible for Justin to reach out to the Cicero Family intelligence channels, at least let them know he exists? When it comes time to choose, there could be another option."

Justin nodded and said, "We can do that; it might be more dangerous, but it’s worth it."

Yarebin waved his hand and said, "No, not until we reach Rome. The most important thing now is to get to Rome, close to the center of the power struggle. If we expose too early, we might not even reach Rome."

After speaking, Yarebin said with a serious face, "Gentlemen, don’t forget one thing: once Mario is dead, all those forces secretly watching will have no hesitation in getting involved. So right now, we can’t say who our enemies are. Once in Rome, you can’t expect the previously silently permitted and even condoned benefits; every step will be filled with danger!"

Gao Yang frowned, and Yarebin sighed, saying, "Your previous operations in Rome may have been monitored. Now, if the Italian Government intends to act, how will you safely enter Rome? You can’t even enter or find a foothold, so how do you plan to act?"

Ivan frowned and said, "Yeah, going back there will be dangerous, but we have no choice."

Yarebin stood up decisively and said, "New faces should go to Rome—those who haven’t been exposed or have never been there. Ivan, your people absolutely cannot go back; if they go, they definitely won’t come back. So unless you find new faces, don’t go again; the same goes for Satan’s people."

Gao Yang said with a troubled expression, "Going back will surely mean fighting, and our manpower is too scarce. How do we manage?"

Yarebin sighed and said, "If manpower is scarce, then delay until enough manpower is gathered. For now, who among us has not been seen in Rome before?"

Gao Yang smiled wryly and said, "No one, all the capable ones have been seen. Disguise?"

Yarebin said in a deep voice, "Disguise wastes too much time; every person disguising would be impossible in time. Justin must go. I’ve never directly intervened, and neither have Tarta or Vasily. They never expose themselves, so the three of us will go first. If necessary, we’ll get the others immediately."

Yarebin seemed a bit regretful, because if forced, he could only bring Glewatov and the others from Yemen, but it’s taken a lot of effort for the three of them to make some progress in Yemen. Leaving now might waste all efforts.

Gao Yang raised his hand and said, "I must go. If only I disguise just one person, it shouldn’t take too long."

Ivan shouted, "We have manpower! We have people, even if the current ones can’t go, I can quickly regroup others to go to Italy; just give me some time, tonight, they should be able to get there."

Yarebin thought for a moment and said, "I think there’s someone else we can use. Hammer!"

Yarebin shouted, and someone pushed the door from outside, slowly walking in with a cane. After nodding at Yarebin, he said to Gao Yang, "Hello, we meet again."

Gao Yang stood up joyfully, looking at Hammer and said, "You can walk? You’ve recovered quite quickly."

Hammer smiled and said, "Yes, recovering quickly."

Hammer had been recuperating in Germany. Since Yarebin and his team came to Germany, naturally, they had to meet with Hammer, but Gao Yang’s attention was completely grabbed by the sudden news of Mario’s death upon his arrival, so he hadn’t yet met with Hammer.

Yarebin said to Hammer, "Can you work?"

Hammer licked his lips with his tongue, smiled slightly, and said, "Certainly not conveniently, but there surely is some work I can do."

After the battle with Butter Knife, Pavlovich was shot and still recovering. As for Hammer, his leg was broken but was considered only a minor injury among Pavlovich’s Black Demon team. It needed a long recovery time. Now Hammer can slowly walk on crutches, which is already a fast recovery.

The battle with Butter Knife was not something that caused Gao Yang nightmares every night, but it was also the most difficult and dangerous battle of his life, unforgettable throughout. So reuniting with fellow warrior Hammer was quite delightful.

Gao Yang stepped forward and embraced Hammer, sighing and saying, "I’m sorry to make you get moving so soon, but I’m glad you can move, really glad."

Hammer said slowly, "You left me in this damned place, and then no one came by. Leaving early, that makes me happy."

Gao Yang apologized, "Uh, sorry, you know we couldn’t come by often."

Hammer waved his hand and smiled, "Alright, the nurses here are nice, plus you bring our real captain, and that truly makes me happy. I feel thirty years younger."

Hammer looked at Yarebin and said, "Captain, I’m ready."

Yarebin smiled and said, "Good, then let’s go."

Hammer looked at Tarta, who was standing to one side, and laughed, "Do you still like using the hammer? I’m back, so don’t use it; it’s embarrassing."